Impro Theatre Celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday with Special 'UNSCRIPTED' Performance Tonight

Impro Theatre is set to celebrate William Shakespeare's 450th birthday tonight, April 25 with a special performance of its currently running production, Shakespeare UnScripted, a post-show discussion, and a champagne reception complete with birthday cake. The curtain will rise at 8pm at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse) in Pasadena.

Shakespeare UnScripted, directed by Brian Lohmann and Dan O'Connor, is a completely improvised play in the style of William Shakespeare. The Impro Theatre ensemble starts with a single audience suggestion and builds improvised, full-length, never-before-seen plays inspired by Shakespeare's poetry, colorful imagery and bawdy innuendo. Every show is totally unique and brings to life the monarchs, spirits, lovers and fools that make up Shakespeare's world.

Critical raves for the work of Impro Theatre continue. Of Shakespeare UnScripted, The Tolucan said, "Like a fine Chianti, the show can be sipped and enjoyed. And like a whiskey, it packs a punch. Shakespeare would be overjoyed to know that his works can be interpreted in boundless ways." ShakespeareInLA.com enthused, "Great improv, like the kind Impro creates, takes comedy and turns it into an art." And from StageAndCinema.com, " ... as high a degree of general excellence in writing, acting, and direction as I have seen in any theater company in America."

The cast is a rotating ensemble, including (in alphabetical order) Kari Coleman, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden-Bashar, Brian Jones, Stephen Kearin, Brian Lohmann, Nick Massouh, Dan O'Connor, Edi Patterson, Paul Rogan, Michele Spears, and Floyd Van Buskirk. The set and costumes are by Sandra Burns, the lighting design is by Leigh Allen, stage manager and lighting improviser is Michael Becker, and sound improviser is Alex Caan.

Impro Theatre is an Unscripted Repertory Company that has brought innovative, unscripted theatre to Los Angeles and the world. The company's goal is to take core narrative and style elements of great playwrights and writers, and create a new play using no more than the essence of an author's work and an audience suggestion. Most recently, unscripted explorations of great literary figures has included Shakespeare, Dickens, Stephen Sondheim, and Tennessee Williams. For more, visit www.ImproTheatre.com.

Shakespeare UnScripted plays through Sunday, May 4 only. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through May 4 only. (No performance on Thursday, May 1.) Tickets are $25 ($15 student tickets are available; student ID required at the door) and are available online at www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org, or by calling (626) 356-7529.

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